Mehta: Sam Darnold era is just beginning, but Jets' decision to trade up already looks like it could go down as the best move in franchise history

Just outside the winning locker room Monday night, Chris Darnold had tears in her eyes, Michael Darnold had a smile as wide as the ocean… and their son had the same steady demeanor that he has had for as long as they can remember.

Sam Darnold had just won his first NFL game in the most unusual way, turning a glaring mistake into a footnote, but it was nearly impossible to tell any of that by the look on his face. The Jets rookie quarterback flashed an easy smile while hugging his folks before disappearing into the night.

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Darnold is the sketch of cool, but he’s not too cool for school. He’s calm, but he’s not detached. He’s reserved, but he’s not aloof.

“He’s the same guy every day,” Todd Bowles said the day after the Jets’ epic season-opening 48-17 rout over the Lions. “I think that’s important at the quarterback position. You need to be the same guy every day whether it’s good or bad. Everybody needs to see that…. You know what you’re getting out of that guy. You trust that type of person when you’re the same guy every day. That’s really been the most impressive thing.”

Time will tell, but the Jets’ decision to trade up from No. 6 to No. 3 in this year’s draft might ultimately go down as the single greatest decision in franchise history.

It’s never been about selling hype with Darnold. It’s always been about recognizing the signs and taking a leap of faith. Some teams inexplicably chose to ignore everything right in front of their eyes. The Jets wisely did not.

Darnold’s physical gifts coupled with his strong-as-oak mental makeup will make him a truly special player one day.

“We already had a lot of confidence in him,” wide receiver Quincy Enunwa said. “When you have confidence in yourself and people around you have confidence in you, you really can’t fail.”

At a time when some people are afraid to say too much about the kid for fear that an imaginary jinx or curse will doom him, the truth is that Darnold has a real chance to be the player that Jets fans have been longing for since man first walked on the Moon.

The kid possesses an enviable quality: He genuinely loves his job. Football matters.

Supreme skill, passion and work ethic will take you far in any walk of life. Darnold’s parents took the first flight out of Detroit Tuesday morning because they wanted to get back to work.

Darnold has an opportunity to make it because he doesn’t cut corners. He’ll never cut corners. That comes from one place and one place only: You can thank Mom and Dad for his strong constitution.

While it’s premature – and unfair — to anoint any 21-year-old kid the messiah or savior, it isn’t premature to enjoy Darnold’s play today.

Goofy GIFs notwithstanding, Darnold is never going to be the life of the party. He will, however, bring joy to everyone around him by doing his job at a high level. Working, studying and grinding tape won’t grab headlines, but positive results will be the soundtrack of his career.

Here’s what’s impossible not to admire about the guy: He has the exact right mindset to thrive in this crucible. Good, bad or ugly, Sam will be Sam.

“It’s great to see,” Bowles said about his young signal caller’s poise. “It’s rare more nowadays…. It’s exciting to see because he’s got an old soul, but he’s young in age. He understands the game very well. He works at it the right way…. It’s a bit more comforting knowing that he’s going to go study.”

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Think about it this way: How would you have responded if you made a huge blunder in the first few seconds on your first day of work?

Would you have sought shelter? Or would you have been emboldened by the moment?

Darnold’s pick-six on his first career snap actually calmed him down.

“Oh my God…” cornerback Mo Claiborne said. “I’ve been seeing this from this guy since he arrived here.

“He’s just fearless. It seems like nothing really gets to him. He keeps the same attitude, the same look on his face.”

Darnold couldn’t be a more respectful person, but, man, he’s an assassin on the field. Maybe the pick-six was meant to be, because if you didn’t believe in Darnold’s mental toughness before Monday night, you certainly do now.

“I practice with him every day. He has that ‘It’ factor,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “He’s a gamer. Coming from a pick-six first ball, you don’t see rookie quarterbacks do what he did… I’m proud of him.”

“He’s just fearless. It seems like nothing really gets to him. He keeps the same attitude, the same look on his face.”

Mo Claiborne

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It takes a village to be successful in the NFL, but something amazing happened in the aftermath of Darnold’s interception. His composure and steadiness put much more experienced players at ease.

When does that ever happen?

“Stud,” left tackle Kelvin Beachum said of his quarterback. “Stud…honestly… He smiled when he got back over to the sidelines. It gives you comfort when you have a guy that can handle adversity and find a way to fight back. And he did so… Cool as a fan after the pick-six.”

Chapter One of the silver-linings playbook: Darnold surely didn’t realize it at the time, but he was in great company. Hall of Famer Brett Favre also threw a pick-six on his first career pass once upon a time.

Regardless, it would have been shocking, frankly, if Darnold didn’t return to his typically poised self after his early error. His belief in himself is rooted in his preparation.

The stat line didn’t jump off the page (16-for-21, 198 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 116.8 passer rating), but he exhibited plenty of the traits that have the Jets ecstatic about his long-term prospects. Darnold showed terrific pocket presence, instincts, mobility, savvy and arm talent throughout the night.

His ability to keep his eyes down the field after escaping pressure served him well.

His third-down conversion to Quincy Enunwa that set up Gang Green’s first touchdown was absolutely brilliant. He eluded a rusher by smoothly sliding two steps to his left, taking one step forward while keeping both hands on the ball, and darting to his right before firing a bullet across his body on the run with two defenders in pursuit.

His subtle shoulder movement late in the first half drew the safety in a step to free up Robby Anderson on a 41-yard touchdown strike. Darnold scanned the field before letting one of his playmakers make a play for him on his third or fourth read.

The rookie killed any momentum that the Lions had after tying the game at 17-17 early in the third quarter by engineering a 6-play, 75-yard drive (that included a terrific 20-yard completion on the run to Terrelle Pryor) to give the Jets the lead for good.

By the end of the game, Jets fans in the building were chanting his name.

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“That was awesome to be able to see them doing their thing,” Darnold said of the green-and-white faithful. “It was amazing. We have some of the best fans in the NFL. Just going to continue to see them at every game home and away. It’s awesome to have people like that in your corner.”

He has given everyone a reason to hope for better days. So, embrace it. Enjoy it.

Nobody is putting Sam Darnold in Canton after one game. He’ll experience growing pains. It won’t be perfect. But don’t be ashamed to expect greatness out of him. He expects it out of himself.